My Routine v Your Routine
I have had a few conversations lately which made me want to write about routine. My routine.
To cut to the chase. I have had a few people who totally don’t understand my routine, my work ethic and how I operate, so I decided to write a blog to try to express my feelings on the subject.
Recent questions and statements:
“Are you taking a day off for your birthday?” No. Are you? Will you just not turn up for work because it is your birthday? Didn’t think so. Me either.
“Oh you’re supposed to be having a weekend off, don’t answer emails today”. Yes, I am self employed, so I like to keep on top of these things, and it’s nice to respond to an enquiry as quickly as possible. Working an hour or so on a day off, when it is your own business, is a labour of love. There are certain types of enquiry which I will leave till Monday, or the next morning if it is late, but generally if I feel it needs attention now, I will do it. Two minutes to respond could be the difference between a happy client and, well, no client.
“You have no routine, how can you cope?” I do have a routine. Without one my business would not operate. It is just a very different routine to yours. I can choose when I work, to an extent, based around my most productive times of day. I have more or less the same routine every day. It is not 9-5 with an hour off for lunch, but it is my variation of that, and it works. If I have jobs booked in, I work around those, but if I am on an ‘office day’ I tend to work 8-12, then have a few hours off, cycle, coffee, shoot landscapes/models, and then back to work and generally do another session till 7/8/9pm depending how busy I am or how much I need to do. I can assure you, every night without fail, I have written a schedule for the following day.
I said to one or two people – I have no jobs booked in all of this week. Can’t wait to relax a little, this week for example is one of those…. “But you’re working?! You need to go away, take a break” No, not booking jobs in doesn’t mean I don’t have any work to do, but it is a relaxed pace, and I can enjoy my quieter days. I don’t feel guilty working 4 hour days when it is quiet. However, people try to make me feel guilty, which in turn means it is hard to actually take a morning off without thinking about it. This is the lifestyle I want and have chosen. I love what I do. People say you have to separate life and work. Well my work is very much part of my life, what makes me tick, and what makes me who I am. Without it I have no idea where I’d be right now. I can work a few hours in the morning, have the afternoon off to cycle, or relax, and do more work in the evening if need be. But there’s no pressure. No rushing from one place to the next. That is the thing. I think most people who are self employed, entrepeuners, business owners etc, will admit that there is a crossover between personal life and work, but this is a good thing, and the reason they succeed. If you love your job, you know what I mean here. If you hate your job, get out. Life is too short – do something about it.
“You are not working, you are on social media!” I have a love hate relationship with social media, but let me tell you, it is a huge part of my business and needs attended to a fair bit. I may be on Facebook, but you can be assured I am trying to generate business much of the time. I am watching YouTube videos, but I am not watching clips of comedy stuff, I am watching inspirational videos, business stuff, educating myself, not just in photography, but also business, and life.
So, people who haven’t been self employed, run their own business or whatever, please try to understand, it is a different situation. I have my routine, you have yours. Neither is right, but please try to understand that we both have chosen these routes in life. I may not appear to be having much time off during the busy months, but believe me I am resting when I can, and enjoying the life that I have built, where I can choose which hours I work, and how I fill them. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Also, don’t call me lazy, or make me feel guilty if I have a lazy day on a Wednesday and you are at work, because I probably spent all weekend working.
Oh and another one people don’t get, is that I may spend a ‘day off’ in the above terms, out shooting landscapes somewhere, and my sanity is questioned. Truth be known, there are very few things I would rather do in my time off than actually take photographs. For me. Outdoors, exercise, fresh air, alone, being creative. It truly is one of the most therapeutic things I ever do, and does more for my mental health than just about anything else, with the exception of riding my bike. It is after all, still my hobby as well as my business. The creative process of working with absolutely no pressure of meeting a client’s expectations, is actually one of the things I enjoy most. Collaborating with other creatives, or just being in a beautiful scene with a camera and a tripod. Bring it on.
So basically, what I am trying to do here, is explain how much I enjoy what I do, and although I seem to be busy all the time, I am often doing things through choice because I love what I do. It isn’t always easy to fully take time off, although yes, it is important to do so at times, I agree. Sometimes my plans can change in a heartbeat and I have to cancel plans to go away, have a catch up over coffee, or whatever. It’s a rollercoaster, unpredictable at times, and I LOVE it.
Not everyone can or will understand it, others don’t want to, that is their choice, but I wanted to explain how I operate :)
